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The Xinyu tangerine (Citrus reticulata Blanco) is a non-climacteric fruit that is widely cultivated and consumed in China but highly susceptible to fungal infections. Antagonistic microorganisms can control postharvest diseases and extend the storage life of citrus fruits. However, little work has been done to investigate the effects of applying Paenibacillus brasilensis YS-1 by immersion to enhance the cold storability of Xinyu tangerines. Fruits were soaked with P. brasilensis YS-1 fermented filtrates for 10 min and in sterile water as the control. The decay incidence, weight loss, nutrient content, respiration rate, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and defensive enzymes activities in citrus fruit were measured during cold storage at 5 ± 0.5 °C. The results showed that P. brasilensis YS-1 treatment significantly reduced postharvest decay and effectively maintained the nutritional quality compared to the control under cold storage. The weight loss, respiration rate, and MDA content were lower in P. brasilensis YS-1-treated fruits than the control fruits, indicating that P. brasilensis YS-1 treatment increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and phenylalnine ammonia-lyase (PAL). According to the results, a postharvest application of P. brasilensis YS-1 can control the postharvest decay and maintain fruit quality, as well as increase the defensive enzyme activity, so as to achieve the purpose of retarding postharvest senescence in citrus fruit. Full article

Xinyu tangerine is a citrus fruit that has enjoyed great popularity in China for its fewer dregs and abundant nutrients. However, it is considered an easily perishable fruit that is vulnerable to various pathogenic fungal infections, especially by Penicillium italicum, which reduces its storage life and commercial value. Normally, to reduce the losses caused by fungal deterioration of harvested fruit, polysaccharide-based edible coating, containing natural antimicrobial agents (e.g., plant extracts), have been applied. In current study, we evaluated the effects of Ficus hirta Vahl. fruits extract (FFE)–incorporated chitosan (CS) edible coating on Xinyu tangerines during cold storage at 5 °C. The results showed FFE has efficacy as an antifungal against P. italicum in a dose-dependent manner in vivo, with an EC₅₀ value of 12.543 mg·mL⁻¹. It was found that the edible coating of FFE–CS exhibited a higher reduction of total soluble solid (TSS), titrable acid (TA), and ascorbic acid (AsA) content by reducing the fruit decay rate, weight loss, respiration rate, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content during cold storage at 5 °C. Moreover, the activities of protective enzyme such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), which have been linked with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the phenylpropanoid pathway, were higher in the FFE–CS-coated fruits. On the basis of these study results, the FFE–CS edible coating could reduce postharvest loss and enhance the storability of Xinyu tangerines due to the in vivo antifungal activity of FFE. Full article